Anticipation is building ahead of El Clasico this evening with the news that Lionel Messi could make his comeback after a lengthy injury lay-off.
Real Madrid will certainly be hoping that he spends the entire game at the Bernabeu on the bench - the Barcelona maestro broke the record for most goals scored in the Clasico (21) last year, a mark set by Alfredo di Stefano.
Barca boss Luis Enrique confirmed yesterday that Messi will make the squad and could have a role to play off the bench - although that's far from certain.
"Whether Messi plays or not -- I prefer him to play, of course -- the great news is that he is fit again," he said yesterday. "When will I make the decision about Messi starting or not? I'll talk today with him, tomorrow, and it'll be decided an hour before the game."
The 28-year-old has not played for two months with a knee ligament injury, however both Luis Suarez and Neymar have picked up the slack and have managed 17 league goals between them since their partner in crime went down. They've also laid on 10 assists in the 10 league games Messi has missed.
That means Barcelona go into the game at the top of La Liga - three points clear of both Madrid sides in second and third place.
If Messi is fit to go then he'll be aiming to do some damage against a Madrid team that's led by Rafa Benitez, which has looked shaky in recent weeks.
It seems Barcelona are hoping to put the fear of god in their rivals by releasing a video of every single goal the four-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored at the Bernabeu this morning. They've put it behind a paywall, but luckily we're on hand to deliver the goods - so check them all out below. Enjoy.
Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona, 2009
Another from the same game:
Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona, 2010
Who says he can't score penalties...(2011)
Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona, 2013
Not the prettiest goal he's ever scored...(4-3, 2014)
Same game, same result (start 4.10)
...and that's the hat-trick. Not too shabby.
What is your favourite Lionel Messi goal in El Clasico? Leave a comment below!
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